Georgia Tech Football: First Look At the UCF Knights Ahead of Saturday's Matchup

How does Georgia Tech matchup with UCF this Saturday in Orlando?

Georgia Tech is trying to save their season this Saturday in Orlando when they take on UCF. The Yellow Jackets are coming off yet another poor performance against FBS competition, losing 42-0 to Ole Miss in a game that could have been worse than that. 

It is going to be a tough matchup on the road this week for Georgia Tech. UCF is playing with a ton of confidence right now under Guz Malzahn, despite the blown lead against Louisville in week two. 

This is a team that like Ole Miss, is going to play with tempo and have a strong running attack. This is one of the best rushing offenses in the country and will certainly come at Georgia Tech with a similar type of game plan after seeing what Ole Miss did. 

So what should Georgia Tech fans expect to see from the Knights on Saturday? Let's take a look. 

Offense

UCF's Johnny Richardson will be a tough player to stop on Saturday / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

This is going to be one of the strongest offenses that Georgia Tech is going to see this season. UCF has speed at running back and at wide receiver and a dynamic runner at quarterback to go with a solid offensive line up front. 

The guy leading the attack for the Knights is John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee transferred over to UCF from Ole Miss and has been the perfect fit for Malzahn's offense. He is the leading rusher for UCF with 304 yards on 53 carries and has 778 yards passing. His weakness is his passing ability and Georgia Tech is going to have to put him behind the chains to have a chance. 

The running back group has a strong 1-2 punch of Johhny Richardson and Isaiah Bowser. Richardson has great speed and is averaging nearly nine yards per carry. Bowser has been less of a home run threat but has five touchdowns to go along with 158 yards rushing. 

Wide receiver has been led by Alabama transfer Javon Baker. Baker has 251 yards and two touchdowns and the next guy is Ryan O'Keefe, who has been a playmaker the last couple of seasons for UCF. 

Defense

UCF cornerback Davonte Brown is one of the most underrated corners in the country / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

UCF has been known for its offense, but they have one of the most underrated defenses in the country as well. This is not a top 15 unit or anything, but they do a lot of things well and can frustrate their opponents. 

Josh Celiscar is one pass rusher to know, but Tre'mon Morris-Brash is a name to know as well. Anthony Montalvo and Ricky Barber are the starters in the interior, but keep an eye on Keenan Hester as well. 

Their linebackers are the group that is leading the defense in tackles, with the top three tacklers on the team all being linebackers. Jason Johnson has 24, Walter Yates III has 15, and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste has 12. 

The secondary is a good unit that does not get enough attention. I am a big fan of cornerback Davonte Brown and think he is a really good player. Divaad Wilson and Quadric Bullard are the safeties and the secondary is rounded out by Brandon Adams and Justin Hodges. 

Overall

This is a dynamic rushing attack that Georgia Tech is going to face and a defense that makes you earn everything on the field. The Knights use tempo and after seeing how Georgia Tech handled that on Saturday, that is something to be concerned with. 

Slowing the running game down and not allowing explosive plays are once again going to be paramount. The Georgia Tech offense is going to have to slow the game down and chew the clock with their running game, but it remains to be seen if their offensive line is going to be able to hold up to be able to do that. 

This is going to be a very tough game for Georgia Tech to win, as evidenced by the nearly three-touchdown spread. 

Let's see what happens this Saturday when toe meets leather. 

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